Kusanagi Faces the Puppet Master in The Ghost in the Shell

The best robot girl with a keen mind and a badass mech is back! Major Motoko Kusanagi leads Public Security Section 9, a government law-enforcement department that defends the public from dangerous criminals. Kusanagi’s newest target manipulates his victims and strips away their memories once he finishes with them. She’ll face questions about humanity itself while fighting to end his reign of terror. We’ll see who ends up in cuffs when The Ghost in the Shell (Koukaku Kidoutai) premieres on July 7th, 2026.

Great news! J-List has started a new sale on all books! Through June 8, you can get 18% off of all books and magazines. This means 18% off all gorgeous Japanese photobooks, hentai manga and doujinshi, awesome anime and ecchi magazines, and more. Start browsing now!

Shirow Masamune released the original Ghost in the Shell manga series between 1989 and 1990. Kodansha published the single volume in Young Magazine Zokan Kaizokuban. Sequel manga series have been available between 1991 and 2015. Mamoru Oshii and Kazunori Ito’s anime film adaptation premiered on November 18th, 1995. Production I.G’s anime series adaptation premiered on October 1st, 2002.

The Ghost in the Shell Cast

Three of the leading agents in Section 9 are as follows:

Motoko Kusanagi. Motoko is a fiercely intelligent and proud soldier.
Daisuke Aramaki. Daisuke is Public Security Section 9’s chief.
Batou Buttetsu. Batou is a veteran of the Japan Ground Self Defense Force and Motoko’s second-in-command.

Studio Science Saru maintains a website, an Instagram account, and a Twitter (X) account to promote The Ghost in the Shell. You can find more information about the series and the key visuals at those sites.

The Ghost in the Shell and The Master of Puppets

Niihama City has become a hub of science and technology in the far-off future of 2029. Advancements in cybernetics have allowed people to replace vulnerable human flesh and blood with steel and wires. Technology encases their very brains, allowing people to access the internet with a mere thought. That opens and connects the world like never before, but these advancements make people that much more vulnerable to criminals.

Motoko Kusanagi heads a government bureau dedicated to protecting people from these cyber criminals. Public Security Section 9 investigates crimes from simple corruption to large-scale terrorism. Her newest case involves a cybercriminal known as the Puppet Master. The victims he leaves in his wake have lost their memories. As Kusanagi tracks him down, she must consider the very nature of humanity. It may be that only the Puppet Master has the answers she seeks.

Will you set off some very high-tech fireworks when you watch the premiere of The Ghost in the Shell in July? Have you read the original (uncensored) manga? Would you like to become a cyborg? Let us know in the comments below.

Let’s Chat

You made it to the end of this post! Thank you! As a token of our appreciation, enjoy an extra 5% off your next order when you use the code BLOG at checkout. Also, don’t forget to follow J-List on all our platforms!